Table of Contents

Exporting

Images that were optimized with StudioLine must be exported to be utilized in other applications such as word processing or desktop publishing. StudioLine allows you to convert these images to all the common image file formats and store them on your hard disk or other media.

Open the “StudioLine Explorer” → “Desktop” from the “File” menu. Navigate to the target folder you intend to store the exported files in, or create a new one. Then, from the Image Archive desktop, drag all the selected images to be exported into the right panel in the StudioLine Explorer window.

Alternatively, you can start by selecting images to be exported and then right-click to choose “Export (Save As)” from the context menu.

In both instances, StudioLine opens the “Export Object as…” window. Here you can define details such as the image size, file format and file name.

Exporting the Original

The option “Export Original” will export the unedited image in the original file format and size. In addition a XMP sidecar file with the same file name is stored which contains all descriptors and image tool settings for that image. You will have the choice to enter a different file name. Other settings like file format and image size are not available.

Saved Settings

You may find that certain projects or certain clients demand specific file formats or sizes. To save frequently-used settings for easy recall, choose the desired export options and then click on “Save Settings” near the bottom of the panel.

You can choose an individual name for that particular set of settings.

Later, simply recall the same options from the “Saved Settings” drop-down list by selecting the name that you assigned to that set of options.

Maximum Image Size

The “Maximum Image Size” drop-down menu offers a choice of standard sizes. The “Use Original Size” option will export images in the size of the Image Archive originals. You can also use the option “Custom” to manually set dimensions. A standard or custom size you choose may not exactly fit the dimensions of the images to be exported. To safeguard against distortion or over-stretching, StudioLine will never enlarge images beyond their original size or change their width/height proportions. Instead StudioLine uses the “underfill” technique. The size you choose defines a bounding rectangle into which StudioLine will proportionally scale the images, as necessary.

The example below illustrates a custom size of 400 by 400 pixels into which a portrait or landscape image is then scaled in such a way that its longest sides are 400 pixels:

The checkbox “Automatically Adjust for Orientation” will take the orientation of each image into consideration and assign the larger specified size to the longer side of the image, and vice versa. If you were to define a size of 640×480 pixels, then a landscape image would be exported 640 pixels wide, while a portrait image would be 640 pixels high.

Next to the two manual size control fields is a drop down list with units of measurement: pixels, inches, or centimeter. Images intended for printing or desktop publishing can thus be exported in the preferred unit of measure. The field “DPI” will activate to let you control the print resolution.

Choice of file format is important for the intended application of the exported image. To use an image on the Internet, the “JPEG” format with smaller image size is ideal. This format is supported by all web browsers and uses a highly effective compression algorithm to reduce file size. You can further individually set the level of compression using “Image Quality” control.

For print or archiving applications on the other hand, best results are achieved with a “loss-less” file format, such as “TIFF” offers, in combination with a large image size for best resolution.

Other Options

Below the “Format” control you’ll find a list of additional options. Active options are displayed with a checkmark. Click an option to activate or deactivate it.

Apply Image Tools
If you deactivate this option, StudioLine will keep any pre-processing, but disregard other image tools, filters, and effects that you may have applied to this image. This allows you to export an unedited version of your image.

Colorize Transparent Areas
By default, transparent areas (the “alpha channel”) will be exported if the chosen file format supports transparency (for example TIFF or PNG). Activate this option if you want the transparent areas to be colored white instead. For graphics formats that don't support transparency (for example JPEG, BMP), transparent areas will always be exported as white color.

Omit Camera Specific Exif Data
StudioLine will export images with Exif, IPTC, and Windows tags if supported by the chosen graphics file format. However, certain Exif information would disclose make and model of the camera, as well as camera settings in effect while an image was taken. If the file format allows it, select this option to omit any such camera-specific information from the exported file.

Preview/Detail Settings

Click the “Preview / Detail Settings” button to verify the result of your export settings before the files are actually exported. The preview window will show the image based on all settings and filters, in the specified size, and, for JPEG images, compression quality as well. It is here that you can set compression quality and use the sharpen tool. It's easy to find the ideal settings because the preview will automatically refresh after any change. The toolbar allows you to zoom and choose a preview size. There’s also an “Adjust Window” button that automatically adjusts the window for preview size and aspect ratio.

Images for Web Use:
For web images an important goal is to minimize file size. Choose the JPEG file format and with the “Image Quality” settings you'll be able to find an optimal compromise between quality and size.

Images for Print Use:
For images in JPEG format destined to create prints or to be cropped in other applications, set the preview size to “Scale up to 100%”. Watch the preview window while you experiment with the “Image Quality” settings until you find the lowest value that does not impact quality.

Path to Export Location

If you launched the export by dragging images to their intended location in “StudioLine Explorer – My Computer”, then the export path will already be set. Otherwise, or if you want to change the export location, in the “Export Objects As…” window, click the “Browse” button below the path and navigate to the folder of your choice. Click the down-arrow in the path field to recall the most recently used 5 export locations from a drop-down list.

File Naming Conventions

By default, StudioLine will use the “Image Name” descriptor value as the export file name. When exporting more than one image, it is represented by an asterisk. Upon export, StudioLine will automatically append a sequence number to the name in the new location if multiple images have been selected bearing the same name. You can simply write over the name if you prefer a different one. The input field “File Name” has a down-arrow to open a drop-down list offering different options for automatic file name schemes:

* (Asterisk)
This option, as just discussed, only appears if more than one image is selected for export. It represents the “Image Name” descriptor value. Choosing this option will use the image names as file names. If multiple images have the same name, a sequence number will be appended for uniqueness.

{Number}
This option represents a number corresponding to the order of images in the Image Archive. You can thus sort images in the Image Archive and export them with filenames that preserve that order. One application might be a picture CD or DVD that will play images in the intended sequence on TV. You can add text before or after the “{number}” placeholder in the “File Name” input field to create more descriptive file names such as: “Vacation {number}” or “{number} Burgundy”.

{Descriptor}
With this option, the file name is based on the content of an image descriptor. Choosing this option opens the “Insert Descriptor” panel where you can view and select suitable descriptors.

Additionally, a combination of numbers and descriptors is also possible.

To preview the resulting file name, hover the mouse over the “Path” input field. A tool-tip will show the export file name for the first image.

Click “OK” to initiate the actual export process.

CD/DVD Burning

Save - Put your best quick shots on CD/DVD for maximum safety. Should it be necessary, StudioLine inquires whether the subfolders should be saved as well.

Offload Folders to CD/DVD - After a while, it may not be necessary for you to have regular access to images in certain folders, the function 'Offload Folders' allows you to move the large original copies of all the images in a folder onto a CD or DVD. When the offloading is successful, the files on the disk are deleted, thereby saving valuable space.

Export Folder to CD/DVD - Writes the images of a current folder into the most useful file format onto a CD or DVD.